Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
March 2007
Let me tell you the tale of Cachi the poodle. Nineteen years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cachi fell thirteen stories from a balcony high above the city’s streets. He landed on 75 year-old Marta Espina, killing her instantly.
But the effects of the poodle’s plunge didn’t end there.
While crossing the stree, Edith Sola, age 46, was distracted by the sight of Cachi’s fall. She stood, watching, in the middle of the street, was struck by a bus, and landed at the feet of an unidentified elderly gentleman. The sight of Sola’s body caused him to suffer a fatal heart attack.
You can learn something from this odd and tragic chain reaction. You are in the same position as the woman crossing the street. There was nothing she could have done about the “poodle missle” and his unfortunate target. But if she had continued to cross the street she would have saved not only herself, but the third victim.
Spare yourself from a domino effect in your life. You are standing at a pivotal point. It’s best to keep moving. Watch your reactions to what is happening around you (as well as speeding buses).
Once you’ve safely reached the curb, catch the bus. The 73 Bus Cocktail, that is. Here’s the recipe. http://www.1001cocktails.com/recipes/cocktails/recipe_cocktail.php?recette_cocktail=100017&recipe=73+bus
February 2007
I awoke one recent sunny morning when my brother’s energetic Golden Retriever joyfully hopped onto my bed.
“Good Morning Joshua,” I said. “What are your plans for the day?”
He just looked at me and panted a pungent dose of dog breath in my face, but I imagine that if he could answer, Joshua would reply, “I can’t wait to get started! There are so many exciting things going on today… you know, eat some kibble, poop in the yard, chase a squirrel, bark at the mailman... ”
Ah, a dog’s life. To Joshua, every moment is an adventure. Each morning, he enthusiastically bounds into the yard like it was his first time. He dives into his dish and devours the same kibble as if it were a gourmet meal. He even drinks water with gusto.
This month, treasure each activity, especially those that regularly go unnoticed. If you regard even the most mundane activities as special, even your morning coffee will transform from boring routine to spiritual experience.
Spice up your coffee. Celebrate the dog’s life by turning it into a Powder Hound. http://www.cocktail.com/recipes/p/PowderHound.htm
Octboer 2006
In the 1985 film “Brewsters Millions” Richard Pryor discovers that a long lost uncle left him $300 million. But there is a catch. In order to claim his inheritance, he must waste $30 million in 30 days. He can’t give it away or own anything of value at the end of the 30 days, so charity and investments are out. Because he is forbidden to tell anyone about the deal, no one can help him out and everyone thinks he’s crazy.
Be prepared for an opportunity. It will most likely come your way in an unexpected or bazaar way. Everything will not be as it seems, but rest assured that all will be fine in the end. You’ll come out a winner.
Celebrate your windfall with a Million Dollar Cocktail…
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/607
September 2006
One of my favorite “Seinfeld” episodes is the one entitled “The Opposite”. It’s where George realizes that every impulse he’s ever acted on is wrong, so he decides to do the opposite and turns his life around.
He begins by ordering a different lunch, then spots a very attractive blonde (played, by the way, by DeeDee Pfeiffer, Michele’s sister) smiling at him. George usually would think he had no chance with such a beautiful woman, and exagerate his importance by claiming to be a successful architect. But since he was now doing the opposite, he walks up to her and says, “My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.”
His honesty pays off. The blonde has contacts with the New York Yankees, and gets George a job interview with the organization. There he meets the well-known hothead Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Instead of clumsily brown nosing (what he would usually do) George acts reminscant of the fable, “The Emporer’s New Clothes” and fearlessly tells Steinbrenner that his leadership of the Yankees is a disgrace. Unexpectedly, Steinbrenner instantly declares, “Hire this man!”
Now I’m not necessarily saying that you go around insulting authority figures, but you do have an opportunity to change your approach. Somewhere in your life, you have nothing to loose. That’s where you need to take back your power and make a different choice. And your drink? Like George, start by ordering something completely different than your usual.
August 2006
“Hello; my name is Marty DiBergi. I'm a filmmaker. I make a lot of commercials. That little dog that chases the covered wagon underneath the sink? That was mine. In 1966, I went down to Greenwich Village, New York City to a rock club called Electric Banana. Don't look for it; it's not there anymore. But that night, I heard a band that for me redefined the word "rock and roll". I remember being knocked out by their... their exuberance, their raw power - and their punctuality. That band was Britain's now-legendary Spinal Tap...”
from the 1984 mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap”
The month is full of powerful oppositions, and if you’re not part of them, you will likely find yourself in the middle of them. Your survival guide to August is to find the right way to combine them.
Perhaps you can take direction from Derek Smalls who summed up his role in the loudest rock and roll band in the world…
“We're very lucky in the band in that we have two visionaries, David and Nigel, they're like poets, like Shelley and Byron. They're two distinct types of visionaries, it's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that… kind of like lukewarm water.”
By the way, if you’ve never seen the “This is Spinal Tap”, you owe it to yourself to find it. If all else fails, lock yourself in a room enjoying the DVD and get shaggy with a Fire on Ice* while everyone else is turning the volume up to eleven.
*Find out how to make a Fire and Ice at http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/3937
July 2006
In the movie “Groundhog Day”, Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) relives February 2 in Punxsutawney, PA 40 times. He laments…
“I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank Pina Coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over and over?”
While reliving his day over and over, Phil transforms from sarcastic, abrasive pinhead to insane suicidal maniac, to talented rennaisance man, and finally to a real, down to earth human being. During each phase, he alters the focus of his energy.
Over the past few years, surprizing events have changed you as well. This month, look back at who you were this time last year. What phase are you in now? The answer may surprize you.
Once you realize who you are today, examine where your focus lies. Take stock. It’s time to reconsider where you’ve invested your resources, emotional, financial, or otherwise. What kind of return do you expect? Make adjustments accordingly.
And while you’re at it, find someone you love and reinact Phil’s good day in the Virgin Islands. And don’t forget the Pina Coladas.
June 2006
Psycologist and Timothy Leary (1920 – 1996), a voice of 1960’s counterculture, said
“You're only as young as the last time you changed your mind.”
Changing your mind is one thing, but this month you experience a change of body, heart and soul as well.
Recent unexpected events, exhilerating and heartbreaking, have forced you to inspect the very foundations that support your house. Good. It’s long overdue. By the end of the month, you may decide whether to reinforce what is already there or go back to the drawing board.
I’ll leave you with one more quote from Dr. Leary:
“There are three side effects of acid: enhanced long-term memory, decreased short-term memory, and I forget the third.”
While you’re tuning in, turning on and questioning authority enjoy a Monkey Brain or Passion Shooter. |
